I am Alex. Some things about me are: I’m Filipino, I’m 17 years old, I go to Rainier Beach, I’m this, I’m that and that, you probably won’t remember. So instead of all that, I want to tell you who I am as a person. I am Alex. I am a creator, -of what? That’s the thing, you don’t always have to know, you just keep going, keep doing, -doing what? Doing something. You all know how the saying goes, “life is short” but it truly is, so spend your time doing what matters to you. I am Alex, and who are you?

My name is Ayana L.V. I am in 10th grade and go to Garfield High School. This is my third Youth in Focus class and first CCC class. Photography is a medium that has started recently for me in the past year thanks to Youth and Focus. I've learned so much from the CCC this year. I've learned how to use photoshop, build a website and find the value of my art as a photographer. I am so lucky I've had the privilege to be in the CCC 2024 and been able to meet so many amazing people.

For my final photos I decided to choose two photos I took at a basketball court. It was sunny outside and I decided to go out and take some pictures. I love how the sunlight peeked through the backboard and how much contrast the darker colors of the backboard had with the sky. I have always liked photos that are in black and white so I decided that's how I want my photos to be. One other thing that was interesting about taking pictures here was the amount of geometrical shapes and lines. 

In my second photo you see the squares in the backboard as well as in the buildings in the back. Also all the parallel lines that are on the court. Overall I really like how the photos turned out.

Again I would like to thank Youth in Focus for all the support and love you guys have given me. I had a great time in this class.

My name is Elizabeth J, and this is my first youth in focus class. I started getting into photography in middle school, up until that point only filming low-quality movies with other kids in my neighborhood. I love photography because of the ability it gives you to capture the unnoticed. I love seeing the perspectives and beauty through the eyes (or lens, in this case) of another. Youth in Focus has given me so many new outlooks on the various human experiences and styles that exist, and I am inspired each day. My favorite type of photos to take are ones that center around people experiencing things. Feelings, situations, and life in general. Experience life authentically.

My name is Near L. I’m 16, I’m in 10th grade and I go to Roosevelt High School. 

For my final CCC Photos I wanted to focus on incorporating graphic design into my work. I have always been interested in editing photos and drawing over them with cartoon graphics and it was only until the last session when I realized I could do that here because we get so much creative freedom. This quarter I’ve learned the mechanics of how to create a website which was extremely beneficial for me because I’ve always wanted to know how to do that and I found it really fun and surprisingly easier than I thought. The hard part for me personally was that there were too many designing options to choose from. 

My experience at YIF gave me a chance to learn to be less controlling of my creativity and feel more comfortable with trying out new things because of the continuous support from my teachers and peers. Big Shoutout to them. I started to go with the flow of things rather than planning every bit out and just stressing myself over nothing. Which relates to my self portrait.

I was on my way to a volleyball game by bus in Bellevue planning to use my photos from that game to edit but then my brother pointed behind me with his jaw dropped and when I turned around my jaw dropped too because the “cool” cars in my neighborhood were just cars with tattoos, but this was a real life McLaren 720S. I rushed to take the photo because the lights were about to go green and I wanted a still-picture but the car in motion ended up looking way cooler than the still-ones because it put the spotlight on this car. I was really excited to edit this one because it reminded me of old car magazine covers with the car brand and the slogan.

I took this photo on the same bus as the previous image. One of the reasons I like graphic design in photography so much is because it can express things that can’t be captured in the photo or emphasize feelings more clearly. In this case, I was on a bus and couldn’t tell if my subject was sleeping or just leaning on the window for the view because of his cool shades. Either way, the vibe I was getting was that he had a long day. I edited the photo to be more faded and grayer so the oranges from the shades and the red handle would stand out more. I initially chose the text to be yellow because it fit in with those other brighter parts but realized later that it perfectly went with the yellow line pulleys. I edited the “E” so that it emphasized how long a tiring day can feel and added the message at the gaps in the seats as if they were passengers to highlight the theme of taking care of yourself.

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Thank you!

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My name is Nasrina, but I also go by Nasra. I've always enjoyed observing pretty things. My camera gave me a chance to look at pretty things more distinctly and gave me an opportunity to look at them forever. I believe life has beauty everywhere even in places we don't see it. If we pay close attention, we would realize how surrounded we are by goodness. I didn't learn this myself, my camera showed me this. I walk around my neighborhood without appreciating its beauty but when I go out with my camera, I come back with the most beautiful pictures. And that I believe is what gives photography its touch. I try to embody the camera by seeing the best in every aspect. I wish to share my work with people so more people can appreciate what life can look like through a lens like I do.

I am a student photographer with youth in focus. Photography has always intrigued me. How does a camera just capture something that is always moving? It preserves the movement so you can always remember it no matter what. I want to photograph people and places. Some things that people usually miss in this fast paced life. In every photograph you can see and feel an emotion and you can relate to it in one way or another.

My name is Paloma L (she/her) and I am a 17-year-old photographer based in Seattle, Washington (aka home of the rain). I started doing photography when I was in about 6th grade and fell in love with the idea of capturing someone's essence within a couple of pixels or in a reel of negatives. All forms of photography fascinate me but especially film photography. I love the feeling of cutting my own negatives, printing images, and experimenting with different techniques in the darkroom. I like to look for more compositional elements and striking contrasts when using black and white film and using more pops of color when photographing with a digital camera.

Other interests/inspirations of mine include the musical genius of the minds of Mitski, Tyler, the creator, Japanese Breakfast, Frank Ocean, Sarah Kinsley, Sufjan Stevens, Adrianne Lenker, and so many more. Some films that inspire my work are Bones and All, most Wes Anderson movies, Everything Everywhere All at Once, 10 Things I Hate About You, etc. It is so important to seek out the art and artists around you and to appreciate their work as much as you build your own. 

A big thanks to Youth In Focus for opening doors, teaching me everything I know, and introducing me to the thriving community of activists and artists around me. 

my name is Sophia, i’m 17 and i’m a junior at Garfield highschool. 

this quarter i’ve learned about leading lines, and in a lot of my art i’ve incorporated it in a lot of my art. i’ve also learned about high and low shutter speeds. i’ve loved using low shutter speeds because i love my photos looking blurry and almost nostalgic.

at youth in focus i loved all the support and the non judgmental staff it was just such an amazing experience all together

for my first photo i used leading lines and a do not feed the pigeons sign when getting off the train, it was a rainy day and i thought the sign and everything in the background was perfectly placed.

my second photo i was on the patio of this building and took photos of the traffic and i thought the photo was so pretty. it reminded me of the central district before gentrification and it reminded me of my childhood

thank you

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I am Stephanie C, and I practice digital photography. I often encounter myself with images that I took and surprise me.

The image of the Chihuly Garden pieces was a shot taken to test exposure of my image. Looking back through those images I was surprised by that image and the spontaneous framing of it. I was drawn to the contrast between light and shadows, and the combination of colors that made the image feel warm despite being relatively dark. I enjoyed the composition of this image and the clear details of the closest glass piece. 

For this image I had an idea in mind of connection. I choose to depict my mom and my grandma braiding my hair because this action connects us all and is also pretty personal to me. My connection to my hair is seen a lot within my culture, so having that moment captured was intimate while also being relatable.